Tuesday 15 Sept - Wetmoor Wood

Source:  Geoff Mullett Walk West 1 - Walk 3

Feeling very virtuous as this was our second walk in three days.   I had wanted to do this walk for a long time, but the dire warnings in the introduction about how this was always wet and muddy had been rather discouraging.  Picked Margie up from work and went out to Wickwar, so started at about 5.15, got lovely light and some late summer evening sunshine.  We've had a spell of dry weather, so there was probably no better time to do this walk, and it was only muddy in a couple of very short stretches.  It's a lovely walk, about 4.5 miles, although it was a bit much for Margie as she also went walking from work at lunchtime!

 A short walk, idea for a summer's evening stroll (or early morning) to hear the songs of the birds that populate this ancient woodland. The route takes you across downland, over a few fields, and along woodland tracks with two short climbs. Note that the woodland stretch is usually very wet underfoot, even in summer; in winter and spring it may be worth taking wellies. Be brave!


A few metres before the pub, North Street leads off the High Street. Take this road, turning first right into Back Lane. Walk the length of this lane to the point where it bends right towards the High Street; here, go ahead onto a footpath running between the backs of houses (A). Continue to the end of the path where you have a vista of downland with the Cotswolds as a backdrop. The footpath turns right and in a few metres you cross a stile into a meadow (B). At this point, you are at the corner of school playing fields. Go diagonally across the meadow towards trees,

eventually crossing a stile in the far corner. In this second field, keep to the right boundary initially [Walkwest update: The edges of the fields down to Sturt Bridge have been sectioned by electric tape fencing to create a horse ride and jumps around the perimeters of several fields, but the field edge paths are well worn and clear enough.] for the short walk to the third, where you turn half-left to skirt the hillock,

soon to join the wire fence boundary on your left. Follow this to the bottom of the field where you climb a stile (C) [Walkwest update: The stile and metal farm gate after Point C are no longer there, leaving a wide open space for the horses, but its previous existence is still obvious.]. Continue in the same direction along this narrow corridor of land to cross a further stile by a metal farm gate. Ignore the stile in the corner immediately on the left, but go ahead for a few metres until you come to a wooden gate which gives access to the Little Avon River.

Sturt Bridge is a packhorse bridge of great antiquity and is thought to date from Roman times.

Cross the bridge then go over a stile into pasture. Turn right to climb the hill, aiming to the right of the crest. As you reach level ground, look for a farm gate in the hedge ahead (D); once through this, walk half-left to the far corner of the field, passing close to the electricity pole. This field had been cropped with maize, but it was easy to follow the left hand edge of the field round to the corner. In the field corner, go through a gap in the hedge to enter a narrow field

and continue in the same direction to pick up the fence boundary ahead on the left. We saw a group of these birds, but unfortunately couldn't get close enough for a good picture.  I think they were partridges... the picture below is from the net.

In the far left corner of the field, enter woodland via a gate.

In 25 metres, you come to cross paths, turn right and walk for 300 metres

until a clearing is reached with a ruined shed ahead.

Here, follow the broad track to the left taking care as the first part of this track is usually extremely muddy at most times of the year, although clearances in the winter of 2001-2 give the walker a chance of avoiding the worst sections.

Wetmoor, an appropriately named stretch if woodland with its heavy clay soils, is rarely dry underfoot although this walk avoids the muddiest sections! The area is a nature reserve of over 300 hectares - one if the most extensive areas if ancient woodland in south west England, with boundaries unchanged for over 200 years. Much of the woodland predates the Norman conquest and is scheduled as a Site if Special Scientific Interest. The reserve is subdivided into individual woods, separated by grass 'trenches' (a Norman term); at this point of the walk, you are in Plumber's Trench. Much of the woodland has been coppiced over hundreds of years, producing flexible hazel for wattle hurdles, walls and fences, bark for leather production and firewood and timber for charcoal burning (there are charcoal pits still to be seen in the wood). In fact, until the invention of modern materials, woodland such as this provided nearly all that was needed for homes, farming and a limited industry. You will see low earth banks either side if the trenches, these are woodbanks, originally topped with fencing to define the woodland boundaries and to protect the young shoots of the newly coppiced trees from the attention of cattle, sheep and deer. Wetmoor is home to a host of birds, including that fabulous songster the nightingale, whose liquid trills are heard from the low bushes in the more open areas during May. Underfoot, early purple orchids can be seen from April, together with bluebells, anemone and violets.

Continue along this 'trench', ignoring turnings left and right, to eventually pass through a wooden gate of traditional Gloucestershire design, by Lower Wood Lodge (E).

The spindly poplar trees on the right were planted to supply the now defunct Morelands match factory in Gloucester. It is intended to fell these trees as they don't fit into this traditional woodland landscape. Still there but not spindly.

You are now at a junction of tracks. The exit for vehicles is along the driveway following the fence on the left. If you want to shorten the walk by half a mile, follow this driveway to the road, emerging by Inglestone farm (G) where you turn left. Otherwise, your route is half-right, across the grass to the right of the exit route, into Green Trench, and passing a gated path on your right. Again, this is likely to be very wet underfoot. When you reach a large wooden gate on the right (F) take the left fork and follow the broad, newly cleared trench.

After initial mud, you will find yourself on a grassy path

which you follow until almost without warning, the way narrows and you find yourself out onto a road. Turn left to walk along the road verge.

You have almost 1600 metres of road walking now, but you will soon have grass common land upon which to tread. You are travelling generally westward, passing the entrance to the Reserve on the left, with Inglestone Farm to the right (G).

Continue following the road until you reach a cattle grid. Take the tarmac drive to the left before the grid (it's the first metalled drive you come to on the left and you will see this before you see the cattle grid). Follow the drive until it makes an obvious kink where a small stream is crossed. On the right of the driveway beyond the stream there is a field, cross it diagonally [Walkwest update: The cross-field path before Point H has been obliterated by crops. The legal right-of-way still exists, so just follow the directions in the book. South Glos. Council is investigating!]

aiming midway between a lone tree in the centre of the field [Walkwest update: The lone tree in the centre of the field just before Point H was felled by the wind a few years ago, so is now on it’s side and dead, but probably too big for the landowner to remove easily.]

and the far corner of the woodland to the right. By the time you have drawn abreast of the tree now on your left, you should be able to see the stile in the hedge ahead. When you reach this (H) cross into the next field via two stiles and a plank bridge (ignore the wooden gate down to the right in the field corner), then walk ahead across the field, our attention was drawn to the farmer getting in the hay in the next field

through a gate into a meadow. Some dedicated yet boring topiary on view over on our left:

Keeping in the same direction, drop down to a sturdy footbridge over the Little Avon River, then climb the stile on the far side and ascend the hill in front of you. As you reach the crest, you will see the houses of Wickwar ahead; continue on, soon with a hedge on your right, to climb a stile onto a lane between the houses. Proceed a few paces to a road.

At the road, turn left, then follow it round to the right. A further right turn then first left takes you past Back Lane on the left and onto Wickwar High Street. If you are in need of refreshment, The Buthay pub is on your right!